To ask for your advice?

[CressidaBones]

I'm 34, married to my DH, no DC and currently unemployed.

Very recently found out I'm unable to have children after years of trying. Not considering adoption/fostering - at least not for the foreseeable.

I have a couple of years' experience in a career I don't want to go back into (marketing/writing), and a useless arts degree. Academically I do well, whatever the subject.

I want to have a real career. Am I too old? I need purpose more than ever now and I want to do something with meaning. I just don't know what.

I'm lucky enough to have the funds and time to train/study/volunteer to do so - if I wasn't so overwhelmed with choice!

I was thinking along the lines of Health Psychology or speech and language therapy, social work...but I don't know!

I don't mind what I do, as long as there is a clear study/training path with a job at the end that involves helping others. I've suffered trauma and now recovered so I have masses of empathy.

Any suggestions at all? What do you do, if you love your job?

I would go for speech and language my child has been through salt and it always seems to give them genuine pleasure seeing a child talk when he didn't before the first time my son attempted flower was fantastic I bragged to everyone and we all helped him with his new found favourite word

What about counselling that's all about listening and helping and there are different areas you could specialise in. Good luck whatever you do.

I’m re-training into counselling, you could look at that? The training itself is a personal development journey for you too.

Counselling really appeals.

But there seem to be dozens of routes and different awarding bodies; I'll have to thoroughly research! Any recommendations? I expect the better courses are quite competitive?